U.S. stocks open lower as 'Brexit' fears escalate

U.S. stocks opened lower Monday, on track for a third straight drop, as escalating worries that U.K. voters might choose to leave the European Union in a referendum set for next week fueled a global selloff The S&P 500 dropped 6 points, or 0.3%%, to 2,090. The Dow industrials slid 47 points, or 0.3%, to 17,815. The Nasdaq Composite shed 22 points, or 0.5%, to 4,871. In major merger news, LinkedIn Corp. shares surged after Microsoft Corp. said it would buy the social-media company in an all-cash deal. Meanwhile, Microsoft shares declined.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.